East Ave releases new CD

Erie's long-running East Ave will play a release party for its fine new CD, "Detour," on Friday at 9 p.m. at Brewerie's Trackside Bar.

The 11-song CD features no shortage of tasty grooves and jams, all enhanced by Elly Vahey's soulful, honey-sweet vocals and stellar guitar work by her brother Pat Vahey. "Walk Alone" lifts off with killer guitar work and stirring harmonies; the ballad "Going Home" feels like an instant standard.

But the whole thing has a rich, organic vibe about it that can only come from a band that's as comfortable in its own shoes as this one is. East Ave also includes one more Vahey, Joe, on drums, along with Tim Sul (guitar, banjo), Doug Russell (bass), and Royce Wilson (lap steel, mandolin, banjo).

Jake Banta plays at Brewerie, too, starting at 6 p.m., so Friday figures to be one hopping night. And tonight won't be bad either. Brewerie is serving up Christmas in July today from 6 to 8 p.m. It will offer several local Christmas ales it had stocked away.

Salmon Frank, Tiger Maple String Band and the WXCS Radio Orchestra will play at the WXCS Community Radio Picnic on Sunday from 1 to 5 p.m. at Goodell Gardens' events barn in Edinboro. The picnic is the low-power station's way of saying thank you to loyal listeners, who also get to record station IDs and announcements at the party.

WXCS (92.9) plays Americana music, mostly, by local, regional and national artists. It began broadcasting in July 2004 to mostly folks in Edinboro and Cambridge Springs, but the good news is you can also stream it now at www.wxcs.org.

Saturday's picnic is free, but the stations asks you to bring a covered dish to share.

Copies of the 2013 WXCS Compliation CD with local and independent artists will also be available at Sunday's picnic.

The BangerZZ with Dan Dahlkemper, Jim Tometsko, Jon Sedelmeyer and Tom Kitchen play a free show today at 7 p.m. at the Patricia McCain Outdoor Amphitheater at Frontier Park. They've got a full-bodied sound; expect to hear a range of songs, from oldies to U2, Neil Young, Steve Earle and more. The band hopes those who come will bring a canned food item for the Second Harvest Food Bank.

Don't look now, but "Flying Monsters" have landed at the Tom Ridge Environmental Center. That's the title of the new National Geographic Cinema Ventures' film that uses CGI technology to take audiences into a prehistoric world inhabited by pterosaurs.

The flying vertebrates featured wingspans of up to 45 feet and lived alongside dinosaurs about 20 million years ago.

Sir David Attenborough narrates the film, which asks how lizards the size of giraffes were able to defy gravity and soar through the sky.

"Flying Monsters" screens daily on the Big Green Screen Theatre at noon and 4 p.m. For more information, call 838-4123 or visit www.trecpi.org.